Description

This workshop will bring together researchers in quantum gravity and cosmology to discuss major open questions at the interface between the two fields. Although the $\Lambda$CDM model has been remarkably successful, increasingly precise cosmological observations have also brought a number of challenges and tensions into sharper focus. At the same time, substantial progress in quantum gravity, particularly in its applications to cosmology, has opened new possibilities for investigating the quantum origin of the universe and for seeking a more fundamental understanding of both the successes and the possible limitations of the standard cosmological model.

Addressing these questions requires closer interaction between communities that often work with different concepts, methods, and perspectives. The workshop will therefore bring together researchers from a broad range of approaches to quantum gravity and cosmology. To make the discussions accessible across these different backgrounds, speakers will be encouraged to begin their talks with a broad introduction before moving on to more specialized results and open problems.

The program will also leave substantial time for discussion, with the aim of encouraging active participation, the exchange of ideas, and sustained scientific interaction. More broadly, the workshop seeks to strengthen connections between the quantum gravity and cosmology communities, foster new collaborations, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the fundamental physics underlying our models of the universe.

Confirmed Invited Speakers

• Niayesh Afshordi — University of Waterloo; Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
• Benjamin Bose — University of Edinburgh
• Suddhasattwa Brahma — Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
• Robert Brandenberger — McGill University
• Clare Burrage — University of Nottingham
• Bianca Dittrich — Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
• Kristina Giesel — Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Lavinia Heisenberg — Heidelberg University
• Olaf Hohm — Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• Daniele Oriti — Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• Mairi Sakellariadou — King’s College London
• Yuko Urakawa — KEK Theory Center
• Victoria Venken — Kavli IPMU, The University of Tokyo
• Francesca Vidotto — Institute for the Structure of Matter, Spanish National Research Council (IEM-CSIC)

Participation

Both in-person and remote participation will be possible.

Registration will remain open until 7 September 2026, and existing registrations may be modified until 13 September 2026, including for the purpose of submitting or updating an abstract.

Please note that abstract submissions for contributed talks and posters are open only to participants attending the workshop in person.

Contributed talks and poster session

The scientific program will include a limited number of contributed talks, as well as a poster session. Participants submitting an abstract for an oral presentation may also choose to have it considered for a poster if it is not selected for a talk.

Abstract submissions are open only to participants attending the workshop in person and must be made through the registration form.

Organizers

Scientific Organizing Committee

• Robert Brandenberger — McGill University
• Elisa Ferreira — Kavli IPMU
• Oliver Friedrich — Ludwig-Maximillians-University Munich
• Luca Marchetti — Kavli IPMU and OIST
• Daniele Oriti — Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• Mairi Sakellariadou — King’s College London
• Thomas Thiemann — Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Jun’ichi Yokoyama — Kavli IPMU

Local Organizing Committee

• Luca Marchetti (chair)  — Kavli IPMU and OIST
• Elisa Ferreira — Kavli IPMU
• Jun’ichi Yokoyama — Kavli IPMU